The Best Sanders for Cabinets: Reviews and Guide

So, you finally decided to remodel your home, and want to start with the cabinets? You already selected the design and wood, but when it comes to installing them, you need the best sander to make them as smooth as possible.

Sanding a cabinet is a challenging task, with tight and confined interiors; the best sander should be nimble, compact, and versatile. This will allow it to adapt to the unique surfaces and deliver a professional finish.

With this in mind, today we are going to walk you through the best sander for cabinets you can get in the market. Let’s get started!

The DEWALT Random Orbit Sander is our first pick, with its state-of-the-art features, sturdy construction, and ergonomic design; no cabinet sanding job is too tough for it.

The Best Sander for Cabinets Are:

ProductDetails
1. DEWALT Random Orbit Sander

  • 4 pounds
  • 10.4 x 7.2 x 6.2 inches
  • corded-electric
  • Three years
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2. Festool 574993 Random Orbital Sander

  • 3.63
  • 39.5 x 29.5 x 16.5 inches
  • Corded-Electric
  • 36 months
  • 5-inch
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3. Makita BO3710 Sheet Finishing Sander

  • 3.31 pounds
  • 12.8 x 6.9 x 5.3 inches
  • Corded-electric
  • One year
  • 1/3 inch
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4. SKIL 7492-02 2.8 Amp 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander

  • 4 pounds
  • 10 x 8 x 6 inches
  • Corded electric
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1. DEWALT Random Orbit Sander — Best Overall

The DEWALT Random Orbit Sander is our top pick today. This sander is strong, easy to use, and will protect its system components from getting dust with its high-performance dust bag. Well, no matter the sanding task, this sander will get it done fast and deliver an attractive finishing!

This high-quality sander comes with a powerful 3.0 AMP motor that delivers a maximum of 12,000 orbits per minute (OPM). This is enough to remove even the stubbornly tough marks, smooth the grains, and joints on your cabinets.

Another amazing thing about the sander is its unique dust collection system. You can easily hook with a dust collector that locks tight into place. Further, emptying the dust bag and restoring it is easy and fast — you will not have any significant downtime.

An important selling point of this sander is its variable-speed and dust-protected on/off switch. Unlike other sanders out there, the switch will not get damaged by dust. Also, you will like the short design of the machine that allows you to get closer to the workpiece to monitor as it sands every inch.

Specs

  • 4 pounds
  • 10.4 x 7.2 x 6.2 inches
  • corded-electric
  • Three years

Pros

  • The dust port is easy to attach to the port
  • Designed to minimize vibrations and noise
  • Very comfortable to use
  • Durable

Cons

  • The sander is designed to only work with dust collector from DeWalt

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2. Festool 574993 Random Orbital Sander – Runner-Up

Festool 574993 is our second pick. Its design is stunning and will allow you to sand even the hard-to-reach sections of your cabinet easily. Even though pricey, buying this sander could be one of your best decisions — it is truly an excellent power machine.

Whether you target finishing or pre-sanding, this is the go-to sander for cabinets. It is compact, not designed to replace the big model, but ideal for the best sanding results. We found it very effective even for vertical and overhead sanding.

You will also like the ergonomic design of this sander that makes it possible to sand with just one hand. Besides, the sander has a step-less variable speed switch that allows you to concentrate on the task with less fatigue.

The sander comes with a high-efficient dust removal system that attaches firmly to the dust port. You can also easily connect it to a vacuum if you do not want to keep emptying the dust bag.

Specs

  • 3.63 pounds
  • 39.5 x 29.5 x 16.5 inches
  • corded-electric
  • 36 months
  • 5-inch

Pros

  • Balanced vibration stop design
  • Perfect for vertical sanding
  • Light and compact
  • Easy to use even for newbies

Cons

  • Pricey

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3. Makita BO3710 Sheet Finishing Sander

This is another high-performance sander for cabinets that deserves praise for its quality design and unique features. At only 3.31 pounds and 1/3 inch sanding pad size, sanding all the cabinets for professional finishing will be super-easy. You can never go wrong with this sander.

One of the top features of this sander is the lock button. It is perfectly positioned so that you can easily access it when sanding cabinets. You will also like the button because it locks into place and you do not have to keep pressing it when sanding. Therefore, your hands will be free to guide the sander without suffering fatigue.

The motor of this sander is another outstanding feature. It delivers a maximum of 11,000 OPM, which is ample to sand your cabinets faster and efficiently. And that is not all. The sander has a built-in counterbalance system that helps to dampen vibrations.

The sander comes with an efficient dust collection system for a mess-free workplace. Dust is sucked through the pad and directed to a dust bag that fits at the back of the sander. You could also fit the sander to a vacuum to evacuate more dust.

Specs

  • 3.31 pounds
  • 12.8 x 6.9 x 5.3 inches
  • Corded-electric
  • One year
  • 1/3 inch

Pros

  • Lightweight and easy to use
  • Designed with an ergonomic handle
  • Efficient vibration dampening system
  • Conveniently positioned trigger

Cons

  • The dust bag design is poor

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4. SKIL 7492-02 2.8 Amp 5-Inch Random Orbit Sander

If you are a woodworker looking for a high-quality sander for cabinets with a low price tag, this is a great consideration. SKIL did a great job in this sander by packaging top-of-range features and selling the sander affordably. Honestly, this sander would perfectly fit a higher price tag.

The sander is powered by a powerful 2.8 AMP motor that delivers an awesome 12,500 OPM- enough even for the most challenging cabinet sanding tasks.

The sander uses a standard Velcro located at the bottom that makes changing the sanding discs easy. You can use any 5-inch hole-punched sand discs with this sander for cabinets.

Are your cabinets located in a poorly lit room, or you need to dust at night? It will be no problem with this sander because it comes with an LED lamp. Carefully positioned at the front, the lamp illuminates the cabinet so that you can work without straining.

The sander is designed to last. Its sturdy construction helps to reduce vibrations and protect the system. To make the on/off switch last longer, it has a dust-proof design. Take good care of this machine, and you can enjoy its top performance for many years.

Specs

  • 4 pounds
  • 10 x 8 x 6 inches
  • Corded electric

Pros

  • High-quality dust collection system
  • Uses integrated pressure control technology
  • Designed to last
  • Affordable

Cons

  • The sander is not meant for heavy-duty applications

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Buying Guide

Selecting the best sander for cabinets can be tricky because cabinets come in different sizes. But designers have done a great job and applied technologies that make sanding easy, even on corners and far to reach edges.

So, here is our guide for selecting the ideal sander for your tasks:

Size

The good thing about sanding cabinets is that most of the surfaces are flat and wide. But there are tight spots like door corners which can be hard to reach. Therefore, go for a sander with a compact design – but not so small that it will take a lot of time to complete a task.

When focusing on the size, it is also important to consider the weight. The best sander should be firm, durable, and light so that you can work with it without getting tired easily.

Power

One of the best methods of establishing if a sander is powerful enough for top performance is looking at its motor. If you are a professional with a lot of sanding tasks to complete, consider going for a powerful motor of more than 2.5 AMP.

But if you have minor cabinet sanding tasks, a less powerful motor of about 2.0 AMP should be sufficient. Note that more powerful sanders are also costlier.

Dust Collection System

When you are finally done with the sanding task, the chances are you will be very tired, right? So, it is good to select a sander with an effective dust collection system to help clear dust as you sand. Your workplace will remain clean, and after-sanding cleaning will not be intensive.

Variable Speed

Today, top brands such as Makita and DeWalt are using advanced technologies to give woodworkers greater control over their power tools.

A sander with variable speed control is better because it allows you to vary the pace and work on different projects.

Final Thoughts

Cabinet sanding can be challenging, but with the machines we have reviewed above, you have nothing to fear! Each sander was selected for a reason – they make sanding easy, fast, comfortable, and guarantee you great results.

Further, the sanders are versatile, and you can rest assured that when the next cabinet sanding task comes by, you can count on them.

Even though our best sander reviews above feature the best you can get on the market, we must say that the DEWALT Random Orbit Sander is the best of the best. With its sheer power and unique design, you will find it the perfect addition to your workshop.